Organizing the Tea Party Movement – A Lot Like Herding Cats!

When asked for a photo of her for this piece, Sara provided this. When I complained she instructed "the sign is more important than I am."

Monday, September 21, 2009

Sara Scondras could easily live a relatively quiet life in the peace and beauty of western New York managing family farmland. But this woman cannot be pigeonholed or contained. She’s bright, witty, sophisticated, accomplished and a true and free American spirit. She’s also a good friend who constantly surprises.

In a catch up conversation this morning, she revealed that she and a friend had been among the thousands of Tea Party protesters in DC 9/12. She was bursting with enthusiasm to tell me about the movement and the DC gathering.

She and her friend determined to avoid the immediate DC area and to launch their adventure from a Metro station in Maryland. The minute they got out of the car with their signs, they felt a rush of positive energy. People were smiling and making eye contact.

“It was like a family meeting,” Sara said excitedly. “I didn’t feel like a nut anymore.” Buoyed by the contagious spirit surrounding them, she recalled that she suddenly felt once again that she had “hope.” Many felt this way; many cried because of it. Sara and her friend never made it to the staging area at Freedom Square; they just joined the march.

She shared with me one of the videos that she felt captured the essence of the event [note the lack of inappropriate anti-Obama signs] . She was especially taken by the words of the black participant you will see half way into it. He mentions the future focus of the movement:

Term limits to get rid of “lifers” in Congress.

New contract between government and the people to restore constitutional governance.

Although currently “leaderless ,” Sara reported that Tea Party Express participants have developed a strong sense of consensus. This is what binds them and moves them forward.

They are agreed that the issues are too varied and complex and the amount of information so vast about them that they must look to the “experts” among them.

They are keenly aware that news – real news – is not readily available from the major networks other than FOX. They are forced to do their own investigative reporting, create their own videos for YouTube or to rely on blogs.

They look for information and the chance to communicate with one another at such websites as http://www.termlimits.org [there is a petition at this site for term limits].

They seek and they see more Democrats and Independents joining their ranks. This is neither a religious nor partisan movement.

I asked my Sara about Sarah Palin and why she was not at the demonstration. She said it is generally thought that Paliln wants to keep a low profile vis a vis events until bookings can be coordinated properly for her. It is believed that she has signed with the Washington Speakers Bureau. Crossed signals have plagued her bookings in the past.

But what about continuing without a leader? She admits it has been problematic at times. With people all scattered about, “it’s a lot like trying to herd cats,” she said laughing heartily.